Miniature or toy fence section



Nov. 13, 1928. 7 1,691,728-

J. c. MATTHAI MINIATURE 0R TOY FENCE SECTION Filed April 29, 1927Patented Nov. 13, 1928.

1 UNITED STATES V 1,691,728 PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN. CLARKE MATTHAI, OF BALTmORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE HOMELAND00., OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, A CORPORATION OF MARYLAND.

MINIATURE OR TOY FENCE SECTION.

Application filed April 29, 1927. Serial No. 187,420.

This invention relates to improvements in miniature fences such as aresuitable for use in connection with Christmas treedisplays and toygardens.

The object of the invention is to provide a novel and attractiveconstruction of fence sections which may be readily joined to form afence; to provide the sections with means for sustaining electric lampsand which sections may be stamped from sheet metal and produced at acost well within the reach of the majority of users. 1

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein,

Fig. 1 shows one of the improved fencesections in front elevation.

Fig. 2 illustrates the same in top View.

7 Fig. 3 shows the fence section as viewed from the post-end thereof.

Fig. f'illustrates the post-end of the fencesection in perspective asseen from the inner side thereof.

Fig. 5 shows an enlarged horizontal sectional detail through two joinedsections,-

i the section being taken on line 55 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 6 illustrates a fragment of two joined sections in front elevation.

Fig. 7 shows in side view fragments of two joined sections at aright-angle bend or corner, and

Fig. 8 illustrates a fragment of the top rail and shows one of thewire-carrying hangers formed thereon.

Referrin to the drawing the numeral 10,

designates t e fence section having upper and lower horizontal rails 11and 12 respectively and with an ornamental portion 13 between member hastwo clip-members 26 formed inthe upper and lower rails.

The rails 11 and 12 and the ornamental portion 13 between the same, areall formed from a thin metal plate, and the ornamental portion 13 isproduced by means of dies or punches that produce openings of anornamental character therein.

The particular form of the punehings or openings to produce theornamentation is obviously immaterial to the invention and may be variedbut it is regarded as desirable to provide each of the rails 11 and 12with a horizontal bead 14 because such a bead, not only serves as anadditional ornamentation but also serves to stiflen the section.

Each rail has an extension or engaginglug 15, at one end of each sectionwhich prowith an extension 19 which projects above the upper rail 11.

The end face of the post, as seen particularly in Figs. 3 and 4 of thedrawing, has a back-turned flange, or a flange that is bent at a rightangle with respect to the front face which flange has a broad base end20; a broa upper portion 21 and a narrower intermediate portion 22extending between said broader base and u per portions.

Each of the broa er portions 20 and 21 has .a vertical slot 23 thereinand the metal displaced from said portions in producing those slots isbent inwardly to form grip-tangs 24, as and for a purpose that willpresently be more fully explained.

The broad base 20 on the flange at the side of the post-member seats onthe same surface upon which the base 18 of the post rests and aids insustaining the fence-section in an upright position, but I may alsoprovide a separate foot 25 which extends inwardly from the base 18 ofthe post, as clearly shown in Figs. 345 and 7 of the drawing.

This additional support or foot 25, may readily be provided without lossof metal because it is produced from a strip that is cut from .the loweredge of the lower rail 12 and bent inwardly.

The extension 19 at the top of the posttegrally therewith which projectrearwardly and these clips are provided for the purpose of engaging andholding an electric lampsocket 27, in which a lamp 28 may be carried, asshown in Fig. 1 of the drawing.

When a socket 27 is held by the clips 26, i

the wires 29, for the electrical connections will be hidden at the innerside of the imperforate front panel 17 of the post.

Toprovide a further support for the lighting wires which must extendfrom the post of one section to the post of the next section, Iprovideth'e lower edge of each upper rail 11, with a series of hangers30 formed integrally therewith and turned up at the inner side so thatthe lighting wires 29 may sup-- and 21, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 of thedrawing, and when thus inserted, the grip-tangs 24 engage the innersides of the inserted lugs, as seen in Fig. 5, and retain the latterfrom withdrawal.

To make a right-angle turn when forming a fence, the lugs 15 of asection will be inserted in the slots 23 of the corner post and thesection-then bent at right angles, thus producing a bend at theroot-ends of the lugs 15, which the metal will readily permit, and thecorner iointwill have the appearance as shown in ig. 7 of the drawing.

In a fence section wherein the ornamentation consists of openings suchas illustrated in the drawing, I have found that where a right-anglebend occurs in the fence that unless a narrow flange-portion 22, beprovided see Fig. 7) most of the opening 31, in t e first section willbe underl'apped so I avoid this by reducing the width of the side flangeat 22 as readily seen in said Fig. 7.

A miniature fence section formed from thin sheet metal as hereindisclosed can be produced at very little expense, and may readily be setup or taken down, and when set up may readily carry attractively coloredlamps which produces a very pleasing efi'ect.

Having described m invention, I claim,- 1. In a miniature ence formed ofsheet metal sections each having engaging lugs projecting fromone endthereof and at the opposite end each section being provided with aack-turned flange with slots therein to receive the lugs of anothersection and at said slots each section havin a grip tank to engage thelug that enters sai slot.

2. In a miniature fence formed of sheet metal sections each sectionhaving an inte-.

gral back-turned flange at one end thereof with slots in said flange andat the otherend each sheet-metal section having lugs shaped tocorrespond to the shape of the slots in the back-turned flange wherebysaid In s may enter the flange-slots in the section itis to cm. J 3. Ina miniature fence formed of sheet metal sections each section havingengaging lugs projecting therefrom atone end and at the other end eachsection being provided with an integral back-turned flange extendingvertically from the lower base edge upwardly and forming a support tohold the section upright and said back-turned flange also having meansformed therein to receive the engaging lugs of a section to be joinedthereto.

4. In a miniature fence formed of sheet metal sections each sectionhaving engaging lugs at one end thereof and at the opposite end eachsection having an integral postmemher with a front panel, saidpost-member being provided with means to receive the lugs of anothersection and said post-member also having an integral back-turned supportat its base which extends rearwardly from one side of the post panel.

5. In a miniature fence formed of sheet metal sections each sectionhaving engaging means at one end thereof to engage another section andat the opposite end each section having'a post member with a frontpanel, said post-member having a back-turned flange at one edge withmeans thereon to coact with the engaging means on the opposite end ofanother section and the opposite edge of each post-member having asupport bent back from the base of the face plate to hold the section inan upright position.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JOHN CLARKE MATTHAI.

